Well, several people have been warning me about the bathrooms on sleeper class on the train. I am getting a little nervous about it. One friend said that she ended up puking while going to the toilet because of the "conditions." Yuck and gross. At least we are taking sleeper class going and the higher class coming back. On the way, we will just treat it as part of our train adventure. (I sure hope I can keep that attitude!) I am bringing a toilet kit consisting of toilet paper, purell, baby wipes and clorox wipes. Hopefully, that will carry us through. We also decided to stop drinking liquids a while ago to decrease the chance that we'll "have to go."
A friend told me about this site that pretty thoroughly describes train travel. You can go here if you want a better idea about train travel in these parts.
Maybe it won't be as bad as I have heard. Maybe it will be worse. Either way, you'll definitely get a report from me along with pictures.
Friday, December 21, 2007
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Another cliff-hanger
I am feeling bad about not posting in a while, so I am writing two posts in one sitting. The fridge story below is a to-be-continued; here is another one...
We are taking a train to Darjeeling to spend Christmas with a friend and her family. We'll be gone for about 5 days. It will be wonderful to get out of the city and travel to a really beautiful part of the country where we can deeply breathe in the air and our boogers will not turn grey and black.
Train travel is fairly inexpensive, depending on what class you travel. We are traveling sleeper class on the way there and it is only $6 each one way. However, there were no sleeper class tickets available on the way back so we will travel A/C 2nd class and the tickets are $24 each, still not too bad. You can book online, but if there are no more tickets, you can get the foreign quota seats. Lots of the trains reserve seats for foreigners to encourage tourism. However, you cannot book foreign quota tickets online. You must go to a railway office. It took us three hours to find the right place to get these tickets! But if we had not gotten them, we would have been numbers 131 and 132 on the wait-list.
I think there is a conspiracy between the railway and the travel agents. The railway site does not say where you go to get these foreign quota tickets and it is quite the hassle, as evidenced by our "three hour tour" to get them. We found out from our counter agent that the travel agents often charge 1-2 times the cost of the ticket in fees. He started explaining that a $10 service fee is no big deal to most foreigners, but it is quite a bit of money for a local. I am inclined to agree. I would have paid $10 to avoid the hassle we went through in addition to all the time spent asking around and researching on the internet. However, I am glad we figured it out, although it meant walking around at night in an area we were unfamiliar with. Jerry was getting worried that we would get jumped. I wasn't. We all read the Chasing the Perp story, right?
About the railway office... It is divided into two parts - one for nationals and one for foreigners. The divider is a low wall where the bottom half is wood and the top half is glass. On the national side, it is just a large area with ticket counters. However, on the foreigner side (that you can easily see from the other side), are couches, coffee tables, nice pictures and ticket tables where you can sit in comfy chairs while purchasing your tickets. Oh, and the "nice" side is carpeted, too. Golly! Do they have to be so blatant, especially when both sides are basically sharing one large area?!
Anyhow, this train journey is going to be quite the adventure. We have been warned about theft on the trains and how we have to buy a long chain and padlock to secure our suitcases to the train seats. And our friend was telling us today all the ways we can "hide" our things from would-be robbers while we sleep, including our shoes! I have never been on an overnight train before and it will be neat (I hope) to sleep on a berth. I have always wanted to do this, but never thought it would include safeguarding my shoes and other belongings from thieves. I wonder if they would steal the socks right off my feet?! I guess I better not wear my SmartWools. But I did not bring any other kind. I suppose I will need to buy socks that can be stolen before we leave.
Unfortunately, the train does not take us all the way to Darjeeling. We get off at a station called NJP and then line up to buy tickets for a car that will take us into the city. We get a ticket with a number on it and find the car in the line of cars with our corresponding number and then share that car with several other passengers going to Darjeeling. At the ticket counter we can request to sit in the front, middle or back seats. Our friend told us that the driver will probably try to "sneak" another fare into the car and ask us to just scoot over. (Dena and Jeremy, remember the shuttle van to the Getty Museum?) We are to firmly tell the driver, "No! We paid for two people to sit in two seats, not three people in two seats!" I am guessing that we will have to practice this in charades as we do not know the language, yet.
So, another to-be-continued....
We are taking a train to Darjeeling to spend Christmas with a friend and her family. We'll be gone for about 5 days. It will be wonderful to get out of the city and travel to a really beautiful part of the country where we can deeply breathe in the air and our boogers will not turn grey and black.
Train travel is fairly inexpensive, depending on what class you travel. We are traveling sleeper class on the way there and it is only $6 each one way. However, there were no sleeper class tickets available on the way back so we will travel A/C 2nd class and the tickets are $24 each, still not too bad. You can book online, but if there are no more tickets, you can get the foreign quota seats. Lots of the trains reserve seats for foreigners to encourage tourism. However, you cannot book foreign quota tickets online. You must go to a railway office. It took us three hours to find the right place to get these tickets! But if we had not gotten them, we would have been numbers 131 and 132 on the wait-list.
I think there is a conspiracy between the railway and the travel agents. The railway site does not say where you go to get these foreign quota tickets and it is quite the hassle, as evidenced by our "three hour tour" to get them. We found out from our counter agent that the travel agents often charge 1-2 times the cost of the ticket in fees. He started explaining that a $10 service fee is no big deal to most foreigners, but it is quite a bit of money for a local. I am inclined to agree. I would have paid $10 to avoid the hassle we went through in addition to all the time spent asking around and researching on the internet. However, I am glad we figured it out, although it meant walking around at night in an area we were unfamiliar with. Jerry was getting worried that we would get jumped. I wasn't. We all read the Chasing the Perp story, right?
About the railway office... It is divided into two parts - one for nationals and one for foreigners. The divider is a low wall where the bottom half is wood and the top half is glass. On the national side, it is just a large area with ticket counters. However, on the foreigner side (that you can easily see from the other side), are couches, coffee tables, nice pictures and ticket tables where you can sit in comfy chairs while purchasing your tickets. Oh, and the "nice" side is carpeted, too. Golly! Do they have to be so blatant, especially when both sides are basically sharing one large area?!
Anyhow, this train journey is going to be quite the adventure. We have been warned about theft on the trains and how we have to buy a long chain and padlock to secure our suitcases to the train seats. And our friend was telling us today all the ways we can "hide" our things from would-be robbers while we sleep, including our shoes! I have never been on an overnight train before and it will be neat (I hope) to sleep on a berth. I have always wanted to do this, but never thought it would include safeguarding my shoes and other belongings from thieves. I wonder if they would steal the socks right off my feet?! I guess I better not wear my SmartWools. But I did not bring any other kind. I suppose I will need to buy socks that can be stolen before we leave.
Unfortunately, the train does not take us all the way to Darjeeling. We get off at a station called NJP and then line up to buy tickets for a car that will take us into the city. We get a ticket with a number on it and find the car in the line of cars with our corresponding number and then share that car with several other passengers going to Darjeeling. At the ticket counter we can request to sit in the front, middle or back seats. Our friend told us that the driver will probably try to "sneak" another fare into the car and ask us to just scoot over. (Dena and Jeremy, remember the shuttle van to the Getty Museum?) We are to firmly tell the driver, "No! We paid for two people to sit in two seats, not three people in two seats!" I am guessing that we will have to practice this in charades as we do not know the language, yet.
So, another to-be-continued....
Fridge Woes
Buying a brand-new fridge would cost us about $200, so we decided to rent one instead. Through a friend we got one that was $7.50 a month with a $25 deposit. It was REALLY gross and ant-infested. We (meaning mostly Jerry) washed it with bleach and I sprayed for ants with window cleaner. We got ant spray and after several days, the fridge was decent (and I use this word loosely) and the ants were gone. Hooray, right?
Wrong. It stopped cooling after a few days. We took everything out and transferred all our stuff to the office fridge. So our friend found another "source" and we got another fridge. This one seemed quite promising. It was a better size than the one we previously had, there were no bugs and it was kinda clean. A weird thing was this red button that Jerry found inside near the thermostat. A sticker next to it said something like, "You need to press this button once a day." So, Jerry asked the guy what it meant and he basically said, "You just need to press it every day or the fridge will flood." Well, we figured we could remember to do that, so Hooray, right?
Wrong. Tonight, we discovered that the motor had tripped the breaker and so the fridge was not working and the breaker thing caused ALL of the outlets in our room to stop working. Again, I emptied the fridge of all our stuff. Someone is supposed to come tomorrow. Tune in next time...
Wrong. It stopped cooling after a few days. We took everything out and transferred all our stuff to the office fridge. So our friend found another "source" and we got another fridge. This one seemed quite promising. It was a better size than the one we previously had, there were no bugs and it was kinda clean. A weird thing was this red button that Jerry found inside near the thermostat. A sticker next to it said something like, "You need to press this button once a day." So, Jerry asked the guy what it meant and he basically said, "You just need to press it every day or the fridge will flood." Well, we figured we could remember to do that, so Hooray, right?
Wrong. Tonight, we discovered that the motor had tripped the breaker and so the fridge was not working and the breaker thing caused ALL of the outlets in our room to stop working. Again, I emptied the fridge of all our stuff. Someone is supposed to come tomorrow. Tune in next time...
Thursday, December 6, 2007
I am glad this didn't happen to me...
and that it happened to Jerry instead.
So, Jerry decides to get his haircut at the first place he blogged about since the outdoor-sidewalk-under-a-tree guy is kinda far from where we live. He goes in and is directed to the last chair in the corner. The barber starts to unbutton the top two buttons on his shirt, which they typically do, so they can fold the collar in to get it out of the way as well as to prevent hair from getting on it. However, instead of stopping at the second button, the barber keeps unbuttoning almost all the way to his pants. He then grunts, points and yanks at the shirt to signal that he wants Jerry to take his shirt out of his pants and unbutton the rest. So, Jerry unbuttons and then the barber starts yanking his shirt to take it off. Jerry's dress shirt is off and he starts thinking, "Hmm... this is new, maybe they changed their haircutting procedure." THEN, the barber starts yanking on his undershirt, Jerry untucks it, and the barber starts pulling it and off it comes!
Before he knew it, Jerry was sitting topless in the barber shop and really wondering what changes had been made and began thinking, "Wow! They really want to keep my shirts clean." (That is NOT what I would have been thinking.) The barber goes out, brings back a large towel, tosses it on Jerry's lap and walks over to another part of the shop. All of sudden, a woman in a white coat appears out of nowhere, standing just a few inches to the side of him, speaking Bengali. After a while, Jerry just starts saying, "Haircut, haircut, haircut." She leaves to go to the women's side behind the wall and peals of laughter start coming from that direction. Then the barber comes back and Jerry turns to him and says, "Haircut," with hand motions this time and barberman nods, gets the normal haircut sheet, drapes it over Jerry's topless body and proceeds to finally cut his hair.
Ya know, just last night I was telling Jerry that it is hard to know if something weird/strange is "just the way things are," or if something is really wrong. This story is a case in point. Again, glad this happened to him and NOT to me.
So, Jerry decides to get his haircut at the first place he blogged about since the outdoor-sidewalk-under-a-tree guy is kinda far from where we live. He goes in and is directed to the last chair in the corner. The barber starts to unbutton the top two buttons on his shirt, which they typically do, so they can fold the collar in to get it out of the way as well as to prevent hair from getting on it. However, instead of stopping at the second button, the barber keeps unbuttoning almost all the way to his pants. He then grunts, points and yanks at the shirt to signal that he wants Jerry to take his shirt out of his pants and unbutton the rest. So, Jerry unbuttons and then the barber starts yanking his shirt to take it off. Jerry's dress shirt is off and he starts thinking, "Hmm... this is new, maybe they changed their haircutting procedure." THEN, the barber starts yanking on his undershirt, Jerry untucks it, and the barber starts pulling it and off it comes!
Before he knew it, Jerry was sitting topless in the barber shop and really wondering what changes had been made and began thinking, "Wow! They really want to keep my shirts clean." (That is NOT what I would have been thinking.) The barber goes out, brings back a large towel, tosses it on Jerry's lap and walks over to another part of the shop. All of sudden, a woman in a white coat appears out of nowhere, standing just a few inches to the side of him, speaking Bengali. After a while, Jerry just starts saying, "Haircut, haircut, haircut." She leaves to go to the women's side behind the wall and peals of laughter start coming from that direction. Then the barber comes back and Jerry turns to him and says, "Haircut," with hand motions this time and barberman nods, gets the normal haircut sheet, drapes it over Jerry's topless body and proceeds to finally cut his hair.
Ya know, just last night I was telling Jerry that it is hard to know if something weird/strange is "just the way things are," or if something is really wrong. This story is a case in point. Again, glad this happened to him and NOT to me.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Catching up on photos
So here are a bunch of pictures that I keep meaning to post:
(Can someone tell me how to rotate pictures? You'll see what I mean...)
The dash of a typical car here. What do you notice is missing? Heat on the temp control knob! Definitely no need for heat in cars here. However, the temps are dipping into the 70s and I have seen a few locals with scarves, hats and sweaters!
The mouse we caught in our room after we injured it and then sprayed it with febreeze and window cleaner.
Pics from William Cary Baptist Church. Our old church back home participates in Operation Christmas Child. It was neat to see where all those gift boxes go! It would be way cool if this box had the boxes we made in the college class!
From Jerry's first outdoor haircut. It cost only 50 cents!! The guy has been cutting hair since 1979.
It is incredible the kinds and sizes of stuff people carry on their heads.
Communal bathing - a very common sight.
For my friend Jenn.
Everyone had a day off during the strike.
One of the Hindu gods.
One of Jerry's fav pics.
From a shopping mall in Chennai.
Celebrating Jerry's birthday.
Hawaiian shaved ice!! Can you believe it? I got mango. And it was pretty good! It made me really miss getting lilikoi (passion fruit) shaved ice from John's grocery up the road from my grandmother's house in Hawaii.
(Can someone tell me how to rotate pictures? You'll see what I mean...)
The dash of a typical car here. What do you notice is missing? Heat on the temp control knob! Definitely no need for heat in cars here. However, the temps are dipping into the 70s and I have seen a few locals with scarves, hats and sweaters!
The mouse we caught in our room after we injured it and then sprayed it with febreeze and window cleaner.
Pics from William Cary Baptist Church. Our old church back home participates in Operation Christmas Child. It was neat to see where all those gift boxes go! It would be way cool if this box had the boxes we made in the college class!
From Jerry's first outdoor haircut. It cost only 50 cents!! The guy has been cutting hair since 1979.
It is incredible the kinds and sizes of stuff people carry on their heads.
Communal bathing - a very common sight.
For my friend Jenn.
Everyone had a day off during the strike.
One of the Hindu gods.
One of Jerry's fav pics.
From a shopping mall in Chennai.
Celebrating Jerry's birthday.
Hawaiian shaved ice!! Can you believe it? I got mango. And it was pretty good! It made me really miss getting lilikoi (passion fruit) shaved ice from John's grocery up the road from my grandmother's house in Hawaii.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Thanksgiving
Today is Jerry's birthday and he got a wonderful, wonderful birthday surprise from the US Consulate. We were invited to the US Consulate Thanksgiving Dinner! He had been hoping hoping hoping to be invited, but when email invitations were sent out last week, none were for us. (We knew they had been sent because some friends received their invite last Tuesday.) I guess enough people declined that they could start inviting from the 2nd tier list. I was just lamenting this afternoon that this would be my first Thanksgiving without turkey, but Hooray! there will be turkey after all.
Of course, Thanksgiving is an American holiday but some of the churches here recognize it by celebrating on a chosen Sunday in November. For one of my friends, it was this past Sunday at her church.
Today another American and I were explaining day-after-Thanksgiving sales and Doorbusters to one of our local friends. As I was talking about it, I realized how crazy Americans are as a consumer society. That conversation led to the topic of credit card debt and the mortgage nightmare that is going on right now. It all reminded me of Priscilla's friend from Romania who was applying to be a U.S. Citizen. She studied her American history and government like crazy only for the judge to ask her something like, "So, what make you an American?" She was of course baffled, but finally answered timidly, "I have credit card debt?" She passed.
Of course, Thanksgiving is an American holiday but some of the churches here recognize it by celebrating on a chosen Sunday in November. For one of my friends, it was this past Sunday at her church.
Today another American and I were explaining day-after-Thanksgiving sales and Doorbusters to one of our local friends. As I was talking about it, I realized how crazy Americans are as a consumer society. That conversation led to the topic of credit card debt and the mortgage nightmare that is going on right now. It all reminded me of Priscilla's friend from Romania who was applying to be a U.S. Citizen. She studied her American history and government like crazy only for the judge to ask her something like, "So, what make you an American?" She was of course baffled, but finally answered timidly, "I have credit card debt?" She passed.
Monday, November 12, 2007
ANOTHER Strike
We find ourselves with loads of time on our hands today because of a strike. Strikes everywhere. The Writers Guild is on strike and I read this morning that the stage hands on Broadway just went on strike. Anyhow, this is the 4th strike I have been affected by in the last 6 weeks, one being in Madrid of all places.
Madrid - the morning Dena and I left for Turkey, we walked out to the street to catch a cab around 5am. We saw hardly any taxis and a bunch of people on the street (ready to go home after hours of late-night partying). The cabs we did see did not have their Cab light on. Dena did flag one cab down and the ensuing conversation:
Dena: Can you take us to the airport?
Cabbie: How much will you pay me?
Dena: Whatever the meter says.
Cabbie: (Silence)
Then Dena walks back.
We see a cab drop off a girl and Dena asks him for a ride and he says all the cabbies are on strike because a cabbie was murdered the night before. But he will take us to the airport as a favor and we have to pay 30 euros. We thought it would cost between 25-30 euros, so that was not too bad. Plus, there was NO other way to get to the airport because the Metro does not start running until 6 or 7am.
So, the GOOD thing about strikes (bandhs) here is that we are given advance notice! We always know when there is going to be a strike. It gives everyone a chance to load up on food. The 1st strike while I was here lasted 12 hours, the next one (on Oct 31st) lasted 24 hours. This one is supposed to last anywhere from 12hrs to indefinitely. It is being called by several political parties to protest violence in a part of our state where a cadre of the current political party allegedly fired shots into a peaceful demonstration where 2 were killed and several others injured.
So, if you support the parties calling the strike, you stay at home. And even if you do not support the parties, you stay at home because the strikers will block main thoroughfares and if you do venture out, people might stone you for doing so. If you take the bus, you may find that your bus will be torched. I think that has happened to at least 3 buses so far today. Yikes!
After we determined that it was pretty calm outside, Jerry and I decided to take a walk around our area. It was quite pleasant! Since there are hardly any cars on the road, it is very peaceful right now. Plus, the temps are slowly going down. Instead of high 90s, we now have temps in the 80s. So we walked for about an hour and a half, exploring our "neighborhood." We were able to walk slowly, not fearing getting in anyone's way. I even had some street food today - a plain dosa and some sugarcane juice. The dosa was 15 cents and yummy and the cane juice was 12.5 cents. Of course, no businesses are open so the few street vendors were the only way to eat out. Well, we are about to eat leftovers from last night. If the strike lasts a long time, we will have to break into our ramen stash.
Here is a pic of my dosa chef:
Madrid - the morning Dena and I left for Turkey, we walked out to the street to catch a cab around 5am. We saw hardly any taxis and a bunch of people on the street (ready to go home after hours of late-night partying). The cabs we did see did not have their Cab light on. Dena did flag one cab down and the ensuing conversation:
Dena: Can you take us to the airport?
Cabbie: How much will you pay me?
Dena: Whatever the meter says.
Cabbie: (Silence)
Then Dena walks back.
We see a cab drop off a girl and Dena asks him for a ride and he says all the cabbies are on strike because a cabbie was murdered the night before. But he will take us to the airport as a favor and we have to pay 30 euros. We thought it would cost between 25-30 euros, so that was not too bad. Plus, there was NO other way to get to the airport because the Metro does not start running until 6 or 7am.
So, the GOOD thing about strikes (bandhs) here is that we are given advance notice! We always know when there is going to be a strike. It gives everyone a chance to load up on food. The 1st strike while I was here lasted 12 hours, the next one (on Oct 31st) lasted 24 hours. This one is supposed to last anywhere from 12hrs to indefinitely. It is being called by several political parties to protest violence in a part of our state where a cadre of the current political party allegedly fired shots into a peaceful demonstration where 2 were killed and several others injured.
So, if you support the parties calling the strike, you stay at home. And even if you do not support the parties, you stay at home because the strikers will block main thoroughfares and if you do venture out, people might stone you for doing so. If you take the bus, you may find that your bus will be torched. I think that has happened to at least 3 buses so far today. Yikes!
After we determined that it was pretty calm outside, Jerry and I decided to take a walk around our area. It was quite pleasant! Since there are hardly any cars on the road, it is very peaceful right now. Plus, the temps are slowly going down. Instead of high 90s, we now have temps in the 80s. So we walked for about an hour and a half, exploring our "neighborhood." We were able to walk slowly, not fearing getting in anyone's way. I even had some street food today - a plain dosa and some sugarcane juice. The dosa was 15 cents and yummy and the cane juice was 12.5 cents. Of course, no businesses are open so the few street vendors were the only way to eat out. Well, we are about to eat leftovers from last night. If the strike lasts a long time, we will have to break into our ramen stash.
Here is a pic of my dosa chef:
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Back in K
I am back from a wonderful 2 week visit with my sister in Madrid. We also did a side trip to Turkey. I will blog about Spain and Turkey next time.
I knew I had arrived back in K when I stepped off the plane and went down the stairs into some humidity and then boarded a loud, rickety old bus that took us to the terminal. I then went to get a luggage cart and the first one I pulled was missing a wheel and the second one was missing one of the slats where the luggage rests. I got a third one that pulled to the right, but oh well....
I went through culture shock again upon my arrival this second time to K. I should have been more prepared after a short chat with a gentleman from K on the plane ride over. He remarked that we had only 45 minutes until we would be able to get off the plane. I replied that I could not wait until we landed. He looked at me funny and then asked if I had been to K before! I was mostly anxious to land so I could see Jerry again. Two weeks is a long time to be apart. We had a lovely reunion at the airport and later we both admitted that we almost started tearing up!
I had forgotten just how dirty and dark the streets are here. I think I was just getting used to everything when I left for Europe. I was quickly re-acclimated during a car trip today when we were literally stopped in traffic for about 40 minutes with people, bicycles, autorickshaws, bicycle rickshaws, cars, carts, trucks, dogs and of course cows all trying to share the road. I distinctly remember being in Madrid the first day and looking around and being in awe of all of the new looking cars that had no dents! Anyhow, the 40 minute traffic jam was on the way back. On the way, we were stopped at some railroad tracks. I was told that sometimes we have to wait only 10-15 minutes for the train to pass and sometimes it take HOURS! And they said it so matter of factly as they started taking their shoes off to relax while we waited. Fortunately, we had to wait only 15 minutes.
I am looking forward to getting reacquainted with the city and see past the uncomfortable to the beauty that lies beneath.
I knew I had arrived back in K when I stepped off the plane and went down the stairs into some humidity and then boarded a loud, rickety old bus that took us to the terminal. I then went to get a luggage cart and the first one I pulled was missing a wheel and the second one was missing one of the slats where the luggage rests. I got a third one that pulled to the right, but oh well....
I went through culture shock again upon my arrival this second time to K. I should have been more prepared after a short chat with a gentleman from K on the plane ride over. He remarked that we had only 45 minutes until we would be able to get off the plane. I replied that I could not wait until we landed. He looked at me funny and then asked if I had been to K before! I was mostly anxious to land so I could see Jerry again. Two weeks is a long time to be apart. We had a lovely reunion at the airport and later we both admitted that we almost started tearing up!
I had forgotten just how dirty and dark the streets are here. I think I was just getting used to everything when I left for Europe. I was quickly re-acclimated during a car trip today when we were literally stopped in traffic for about 40 minutes with people, bicycles, autorickshaws, bicycle rickshaws, cars, carts, trucks, dogs and of course cows all trying to share the road. I distinctly remember being in Madrid the first day and looking around and being in awe of all of the new looking cars that had no dents! Anyhow, the 40 minute traffic jam was on the way back. On the way, we were stopped at some railroad tracks. I was told that sometimes we have to wait only 10-15 minutes for the train to pass and sometimes it take HOURS! And they said it so matter of factly as they started taking their shoes off to relax while we waited. Fortunately, we had to wait only 15 minutes.
I am looking forward to getting reacquainted with the city and see past the uncomfortable to the beauty that lies beneath.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Now in Turkey
So now my sister and I are in Turkey. We flew into Istanbul this evening and will stay until Wednesday. We are hanging out in a friend's VERY nice and spacious apartment waiting for the Turkish food to be delivered that we ordered ONLINE!! What a far cry from K!
We left this morning at 5:30am to catch a cab. However, there was an impromptu taxi strike because a taxi driver got killed the night before. Fortunately, a taxi driver took pity on us and took us to the airport (for a higher fare, of course). We flew into Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris and had 45 minutes to get our connecting flight. It was impossible, because of the airport structure and the lunacy of Air France. Suffice it to say that we were on 3-4 different airport buses during the entire experience, one of which had a delay because the door stopped functioning for a while. So of course we missed the connection and it seems like it happens all the time with the ease it took to get the next flight. The next flight was delayed and then delayed again and then delayed again. My goodness. No more Charles de Gaulle and no more Air France.
Turkey, like Spain, is quieter and cleaner than K. The cars are new and not many have dents. And there are only cars on the streets, no autorickshaws, no bicycles and no animals! I feel like I am experiencing a sort of reverse culture shock, except not in the US. It is weird to be so in awe of everything. In Madrid I went to someone's house and one of the guests brought roast chicken. I kept staring at it because the pieces were so big and had so much meat on them!!!
Istanbul is surprisingly very western. There is even an Arby's in a nearby mall. I have seen so many western restaurants and shops. English is widely spoken here and many of the signs are in English. However, we also heard the Muslim call to prayer by the muezzin not too long ago.
Well, the doorbell just rang. Our food is here. YUM.
We left this morning at 5:30am to catch a cab. However, there was an impromptu taxi strike because a taxi driver got killed the night before. Fortunately, a taxi driver took pity on us and took us to the airport (for a higher fare, of course). We flew into Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris and had 45 minutes to get our connecting flight. It was impossible, because of the airport structure and the lunacy of Air France. Suffice it to say that we were on 3-4 different airport buses during the entire experience, one of which had a delay because the door stopped functioning for a while. So of course we missed the connection and it seems like it happens all the time with the ease it took to get the next flight. The next flight was delayed and then delayed again and then delayed again. My goodness. No more Charles de Gaulle and no more Air France.
Turkey, like Spain, is quieter and cleaner than K. The cars are new and not many have dents. And there are only cars on the streets, no autorickshaws, no bicycles and no animals! I feel like I am experiencing a sort of reverse culture shock, except not in the US. It is weird to be so in awe of everything. In Madrid I went to someone's house and one of the guests brought roast chicken. I kept staring at it because the pieces were so big and had so much meat on them!!!
Istanbul is surprisingly very western. There is even an Arby's in a nearby mall. I have seen so many western restaurants and shops. English is widely spoken here and many of the signs are in English. However, we also heard the Muslim call to prayer by the muezzin not too long ago.
Well, the doorbell just rang. Our food is here. YUM.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
In Spain
I am in Madrid, Spain visiting my sister. I will be here for two weeks, with a 5 day trip to Istanbul in the middle. Pictures to come later. The flight over here was fine, except I am missing a piece of luggage. However, it was filled with dirty clothes to wash over here, so no big deal. Hopefully it will get delivered before I go back to K. I know, bringing laundry all the way to Spain. Well, I will blog about the laundry situation in K another time.
I mentioned in my email update that I had been sick. I am MUCH better now. I think it was dehydration. I realize that I do not drink much water in K for several reasons. We cannot drink tap water. In the restaurants, we have to pay for water. And most importantly, I never know where I will be when I have to use the bathroom, so I have found myself not drinking enough water. I have got to come up with a better system to get my fluids. I could drink alot at night, but then I'd be constantly getting up from bed to use the toilet. I'll have to think about it...
Spain is GREAT!! The weather is nice and cool, but still sunny. The skies are a gorgeous blue. I had a fantastic pear last night and a wonderful apple today. We were outside alot today and it was just great walking around, not being hot and not worrying what you might step into. We had calamari sandwiches for lunch. YUM.
I mentioned in my email update that I had been sick. I am MUCH better now. I think it was dehydration. I realize that I do not drink much water in K for several reasons. We cannot drink tap water. In the restaurants, we have to pay for water. And most importantly, I never know where I will be when I have to use the bathroom, so I have found myself not drinking enough water. I have got to come up with a better system to get my fluids. I could drink alot at night, but then I'd be constantly getting up from bed to use the toilet. I'll have to think about it...
Spain is GREAT!! The weather is nice and cool, but still sunny. The skies are a gorgeous blue. I had a fantastic pear last night and a wonderful apple today. We were outside alot today and it was just great walking around, not being hot and not worrying what you might step into. We had calamari sandwiches for lunch. YUM.
Monday, October 15, 2007
This time a city adventure
Saturday we decided to explore the Metro system, an underground subway that was the first in this region. There is just one line; so it is good that you do not have to worry about transferring, but bad because you will most likely have to take another form of transportation after your stop.
I did not take offense to the lumping of females with the aged and disabled because it meant a higher likelihood that I would get a seat. (I will take my small comforts wherever I can!) However, when we got on, all the seats were taken by able-bodied men.
It was really really packed, especially on the way home. The people here are gearing up for a festival of sorts and it means LOTS of shopping. The last time I was that crowded was not in Hong Kong, but in Washington D.C. on Inauguration Day. In D.C., the people waiting to get on the Metro wait for those who are exiting. Here, there is a big crush as people are simultaneously trying to get on AND off.
We arrived at our stop and explored for a while and then went to a bookstore to find a guidebook to look up a good place to eat. We went to a place called B-B-Q, but it was nothing like BBQ in Texas. In fact, they did not even serve BBQ. But, it had great A/C and good food including the best fried chicken wings we have found so far. It also had green Chinese veggies, another best.
We explored some more and then I had to use the bathroom! I am not averse to going on the side of the road, but we were in the city. The next day I read an article in the paper about the lack of restroom facilities in the city. I could certainly attest to the dearth. I walked into a cemetery and they directed me to a church. Hooray for the church! I used the bathroom there. See, the church can meets all kinds of needs!
Back to the “female amenities” article… It also said that some women have to resort to going “anywhere” and using their umbrellas to shield them. I later read an article about a movie star who basically said he was too handsome to be in politics. When asked what he would do if he were president for a day, he said that he’d build lots and lots of female amenities so women could have some privacy. Hooray for him!
We explored some more and went to a dessert placed called Flurry’s. I ordered a chocolate milkshake. Have you ever had a watery, kinda lukewarm milkshake? That is what they have here. I have seen Americans portrayed as spoiled brats when traveling abroad and complaining that their drinks are not served chilled. I am fine with unchilled water, juice, soda, etc. But a milkshake? I long for the ones at Chick-fil-A.
The best part of the day was exploring a market. Because of the festivities coming up, leis of flowers can be seen in the markets. The leis are meant to adorn the idols. I bought a couple of ginger leis (at 30 cents each!) and was tempted to put in on like in Hawaii, but decided that I better not portray myself as an idol. I am using my leis as an air-freshener in the hotel. Smells good!
We literally stumbled into this building that was kinda far off the street, but the 3 lit-up doorways leading into the building tempted us. Other than the doorways, everything was completely dark. It turned out to be a huge indoor market and in the very back was a seafood, live chicken and meat market. It was quite the mosaic of sights and smells. We left with 2 crabs, that look like Dungeness but smaller and paid $1.30 for each one. Then we paid 25 cents for them to cut them for us. I had a great dinner that night. We boiled the crabs in ramen broth and then I ate to my heart’s content. Delicious! That day was a good day of transition.
I really liked the Metro. It was air-conditioned in the terminal and had fans on the cars themselves. Plus, it was REALLY CHEAP! It cost only 10 cents to get to our destination. I think the farthest stop would have been 30 cents. We saw this sign
I did not take offense to the lumping of females with the aged and disabled because it meant a higher likelihood that I would get a seat. (I will take my small comforts wherever I can!) However, when we got on, all the seats were taken by able-bodied men.
It was really really packed, especially on the way home. The people here are gearing up for a festival of sorts and it means LOTS of shopping. The last time I was that crowded was not in Hong Kong, but in Washington D.C. on Inauguration Day. In D.C., the people waiting to get on the Metro wait for those who are exiting. Here, there is a big crush as people are simultaneously trying to get on AND off.
We arrived at our stop and explored for a while and then went to a bookstore to find a guidebook to look up a good place to eat. We went to a place called B-B-Q, but it was nothing like BBQ in Texas. In fact, they did not even serve BBQ. But, it had great A/C and good food including the best fried chicken wings we have found so far. It also had green Chinese veggies, another best.
We explored some more and then I had to use the bathroom! I am not averse to going on the side of the road, but we were in the city. The next day I read an article in the paper about the lack of restroom facilities in the city. I could certainly attest to the dearth. I walked into a cemetery and they directed me to a church. Hooray for the church! I used the bathroom there. See, the church can meets all kinds of needs!
Back to the “female amenities” article… It also said that some women have to resort to going “anywhere” and using their umbrellas to shield them. I later read an article about a movie star who basically said he was too handsome to be in politics. When asked what he would do if he were president for a day, he said that he’d build lots and lots of female amenities so women could have some privacy. Hooray for him!
We explored some more and went to a dessert placed called Flurry’s. I ordered a chocolate milkshake. Have you ever had a watery, kinda lukewarm milkshake? That is what they have here. I have seen Americans portrayed as spoiled brats when traveling abroad and complaining that their drinks are not served chilled. I am fine with unchilled water, juice, soda, etc. But a milkshake? I long for the ones at Chick-fil-A.
The best part of the day was exploring a market. Because of the festivities coming up, leis of flowers can be seen in the markets. The leis are meant to adorn the idols. I bought a couple of ginger leis (at 30 cents each!) and was tempted to put in on like in Hawaii, but decided that I better not portray myself as an idol. I am using my leis as an air-freshener in the hotel. Smells good!
We literally stumbled into this building that was kinda far off the street, but the 3 lit-up doorways leading into the building tempted us. Other than the doorways, everything was completely dark. It turned out to be a huge indoor market and in the very back was a seafood, live chicken and meat market. It was quite the mosaic of sights and smells. We left with 2 crabs, that look like Dungeness but smaller and paid $1.30 for each one. Then we paid 25 cents for them to cut them for us. I had a great dinner that night. We boiled the crabs in ramen broth and then I ate to my heart’s content. Delicious! That day was a good day of transition.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
a travel adventure
I had a chance to travel to some remote villages the other day.
Long - We were out for 12 hours. It took 5.5 hours to find the village we were looking for.
Bumpy - BUMPY!!! I have never done so much bouncing up and down and being jostled. Just think about all of the jostling from the late Texas Cyclone wooden roller coaster at Astroworld. Now, just slow down the speed and add several hours to that ride. That's how our drive was - with a few smooth patches thrown in. And then there were some mud pits areas where the grooves were alomost shin-deep. I was all ready to get stuck and have to get out of the car into the mud. But amazingly, our car made it through!
Scenic - Once you get out of the city, the lushness of the vegetation overtakes the landscape. It is quite green and beautiful. I WISH WISH WISH I had a camera with me. (We did order one and it has arrived to my parent's house and we are working out how to get it to us.) There are bunches of banana trees and palm trees. It kinda reminds me of Hawaii, except no ocean, no flowers and no mountains or hills. Hmmm... maybe it is not really like Hawaii so much...
Jute and bananas seem to be the main crops. We saw LOTS of jute being dried on the sides of the road and even on the road itself. (We just drove right over it.) Jute is dried and then the fiber from the inside is used to make rope and bags. The outside is used for building materials. The way they transport these crops is on bicycle that has a large wooden platform secured on the back. And then they really load it up. It is neat to see these really skinny men with legs of steel peddle the cargo from place to place.
Animals everywhere (on the road) - Cows, of course! Sheep, chickens, goats, baby lambs, dogs And a baboon!! It was huge and rather skinny - kinda like all of the animals here. We saw it leap from the top of a store, down onto the road (right in front of our car!) and leap up onto the top of the store on the other side of the street. I have never seen wildlife so up close before without some sort of railing, cage, barrier, etc. Speaking of chickens, the girl in the front seat was freaking out about the chickens on the road because she was afraid that it we ran one over, the owner would come out and beat us up!
It was quite the adventure. I have to hand it to our driver - he did a really great job. As with most places here, especially the villages, there are no street names, hardly any signs. We probably stopped every few miles or so to ask someone if we were on the right track. On the way back, one of the girls started clapping when we made it back onto the main road back home. Although, she may have been so happy because she really needed to go to the bathroom and a main road meant a gas station (or petrol pump as they are called here) that would have a bathroom. However, the bathroom of the first one we came to was declared unfit and we kept going. I had more squatty potty training that day.
Long - We were out for 12 hours. It took 5.5 hours to find the village we were looking for.
Bumpy - BUMPY!!! I have never done so much bouncing up and down and being jostled. Just think about all of the jostling from the late Texas Cyclone wooden roller coaster at Astroworld. Now, just slow down the speed and add several hours to that ride. That's how our drive was - with a few smooth patches thrown in. And then there were some mud pits areas where the grooves were alomost shin-deep. I was all ready to get stuck and have to get out of the car into the mud. But amazingly, our car made it through!
Scenic - Once you get out of the city, the lushness of the vegetation overtakes the landscape. It is quite green and beautiful. I WISH WISH WISH I had a camera with me. (We did order one and it has arrived to my parent's house and we are working out how to get it to us.) There are bunches of banana trees and palm trees. It kinda reminds me of Hawaii, except no ocean, no flowers and no mountains or hills. Hmmm... maybe it is not really like Hawaii so much...
Jute and bananas seem to be the main crops. We saw LOTS of jute being dried on the sides of the road and even on the road itself. (We just drove right over it.) Jute is dried and then the fiber from the inside is used to make rope and bags. The outside is used for building materials. The way they transport these crops is on bicycle that has a large wooden platform secured on the back. And then they really load it up. It is neat to see these really skinny men with legs of steel peddle the cargo from place to place.
Animals everywhere (on the road) - Cows, of course! Sheep, chickens, goats, baby lambs, dogs And a baboon!! It was huge and rather skinny - kinda like all of the animals here. We saw it leap from the top of a store, down onto the road (right in front of our car!) and leap up onto the top of the store on the other side of the street. I have never seen wildlife so up close before without some sort of railing, cage, barrier, etc. Speaking of chickens, the girl in the front seat was freaking out about the chickens on the road because she was afraid that it we ran one over, the owner would come out and beat us up!
It was quite the adventure. I have to hand it to our driver - he did a really great job. As with most places here, especially the villages, there are no street names, hardly any signs. We probably stopped every few miles or so to ask someone if we were on the right track. On the way back, one of the girls started clapping when we made it back onto the main road back home. Although, she may have been so happy because she really needed to go to the bathroom and a main road meant a gas station (or petrol pump as they are called here) that would have a bathroom. However, the bathroom of the first one we came to was declared unfit and we kept going. I had more squatty potty training that day.
Another food update
KFC
The KFC here is so popular that a bouncer is needed for crowd control. The restaurant was packed and there was a line out the door with a line marker like you see at the airport. And there was an employee at the door, letting people in as people were leaving. Good thing we were not planning to eat.
DOMINOS
I never thought I would say this, “Domino’s pizza is great!” I am not a pizza person. If someone asks what I want to eat, I usually reply, “No pizza, no Mexican.” However, if other people want to eat it, I am fine with it. It’s just not my first choice. Anyhow, I had a medium thin-crust pepperoni pizza the other night and it was delicious. I wanted to eat the entire thing even though I was full after 3 slices. The pizza cost about $5, which is A LOT to pay for a meal here. Corn is a popular topping here.
KIMLING
We found a Chinese restaurant really close to our hotel. It is run by a really old Cantonese guy. The fried rice is good and they even have both steamed and pan fried dumplings, that they call momos here. The soups are pretty good as well.
Last night after we ate our dinner, I asked Jerry, "Can you believe that you will not eat salt-toasted ribs for a year? You will not eat watercress soup for a year?" I know, it's kinda mean...
The KFC here is so popular that a bouncer is needed for crowd control. The restaurant was packed and there was a line out the door with a line marker like you see at the airport. And there was an employee at the door, letting people in as people were leaving. Good thing we were not planning to eat.
DOMINOS
I never thought I would say this, “Domino’s pizza is great!” I am not a pizza person. If someone asks what I want to eat, I usually reply, “No pizza, no Mexican.” However, if other people want to eat it, I am fine with it. It’s just not my first choice. Anyhow, I had a medium thin-crust pepperoni pizza the other night and it was delicious. I wanted to eat the entire thing even though I was full after 3 slices. The pizza cost about $5, which is A LOT to pay for a meal here. Corn is a popular topping here.
KIMLING
We found a Chinese restaurant really close to our hotel. It is run by a really old Cantonese guy. The fried rice is good and they even have both steamed and pan fried dumplings, that they call momos here. The soups are pretty good as well.
Last night after we ate our dinner, I asked Jerry, "Can you believe that you will not eat salt-toasted ribs for a year? You will not eat watercress soup for a year?" I know, it's kinda mean...
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Guest Blogger
A special treat - a blog from Jerry!So here goes, my first blog entry:
I'd been overdue for a haircut, so instead of getting one from a "barber" who cuts hair from the side of the road (one of my colleagues did this for the equivalent of $.25, a buzz cut made with scissors and a straight-edge razor and no nicks), I went with the director of the office to his regular place.
The two of us walk in (after making sure we went thru the door marked for men) and my director goes to the first chair. There are stalls separated by 4 ft high brick walls, so I look around dumbly for a few seconds since I'm used to being told where to sit (as was the custom at my old $2.99 Vietnamese haircut shop in Houston) but the few others present were seated on chairs looking like chatty customers. Turns out they were the barbers. So my director tells me to sit down and a guy comes up, points at my head and I make a few gestures around my head. He takes out a pair of scissors, sprays my hair down, and snips away for the next 10 min. One weird bit was that he seemed to push my head with a little more force than was needed when he wanted me to tilt it to one side. I kept trying to look at him in the mirror to see if he looked angry (didn't work since I couldn't see clearly with my glasses off). He finishes off the edges with a straight-edge razor, just like the street guy.
But I opt for something I think the street guy doesn't offer: a head massage. He points at my head and said what sounds like "massage" and I think, "Why not? I've never had one before." I nod and he starts to massage my scalp, pulling my hair up, thumping my head as if playing a bongo with fists, and doing a weird pinching of my nose bridge along with stroking my forehead and rubbing my closed eyelids. What really surprises me is when he starts to massage the back of my neck and work down my spine. Next, he grabs my right arm and starts wringing it like a towel from my biceps to my wrist, then yanking on my fingers to pop the knuckles before finishing with a twisting of the arm behind my back and slapping my upper shoulder blade. During this time I'm wondering if he's going to do anything that's going to really hurt or if he's going to touch a part of me that I'll feel awkward about. He doesn't. He repeats this on my left arm. He finishs up back on my head with the massaging and bridge pinching stuff.
I was a little tired afterwards, but I felt pretty good: the crick in my neck that had been bothering me during the week was gone. So all in all, it was well worth the $2+. Without the head massage, it cost the equivalent of $1. I wonder how much something like that costs back in the States. Would the people at my old $2.99 place do it? Anyone ever had a barber do this to them?
A bunch of things
TAXIS & SHOPPING
The pastor at church today said that every day that we make it home safely is a time to thank God because of all the crazy traffic here. That has definitely been our experience.
We took a cab back to our hotel after church. The driver had to use only one hand to drive because the other hand was used to hold his door closed during the ride because it would not stay shut.
Yesterday we hired an A/C car and driver. We learned our lesson from when we just took non-A/C taxis from non-A/C flat to non-A/C flat. It was especially uncomfortable because the roads are so bumpy and the cars have no shock absorbers. And since there was no A/C, the windows were down to let in all the pollution and rank smells. Jerry commented last night that he wanted to clean his ears out and see all the nasty black stuff that must be collecting there. Gross.
Anyhow, when you hire a driver or a taxi here, you are basically hiring a mode of transportation because the drivers do not know where many things are in the city. You can tell them an area of town and then you better know how to get to your destination from there. For instance, what we usually have to do is ask the driver to take us to let’s say, a well-known police station. Once we get there, then we start a whole lot of charades and pointing. And then maybe we get to where we need. It can be quite exhausting! One night it took us 45 minutes of pointing and motioning and calling our local friends for us to get back to the hotel. It should have taken 20 minutes. And it does not even help a whole lot for a local to give directions over the phone because they themselves just know how to get to places by sight. There are hardly any street signs, but LOTS of billboards at street level. You could try to use the billboards as landmarks, but once they change…
Back to our A/C car and driver – it took an hour to find a store called Spencer’s. And the annoying thing is that Spencer’s has a lot of billboards around the city that ALL say, “You are minutes from a SUPER shopping experience.” I guess minutes can refer to 2 or 50.
Another stop was to a place that I will call the Wal*Mart of the city. First of all, the traffic getting there was HORRIBLE, even worse than I-10 during rush hour in Houston. There were periods of time when we were stopped for 10+ minutes and people would just get out of their cars and start socializing. You have not seen gridlock until you see the traffic in this city. We finally made it to the Mega Mart and it was packed, just like a doorbusters event at Wal*Mart. Everything was 25% off except clothes. Wall to wall people. At least I did not get groped.
As new residents of the city, we would love to explore, but Golly! It is NEVER easy to get anywhere. There have been a few evenings when I have told Jerry, “I do not want to get into a car for a week!”
SOMETHING POSITIVE
I feel like this blog entry has been a rant, but there are so many things to get used to. Before we left, lots of people would talk about the sacrifice we were making. Maybe we naively agreed to come here. If I knew exactly how it would be, I think I would have been very tempted to tell God, “No thanks.” Every time I get frustrated, Jerry says, “Later, this will be an anecdote that you can put in the blog.” So, ya’ll get to be entertained by our ‘adjustments’.
So let me tell you about a very pleasant experience here…. at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. (hahaha) Seriously, we have had some good experiences here that are not Western. But first, about the Hyatt… It is literally an oasis for foreigners. We have been told that we NEED to get away on a regular basis and enjoy some comfort experiences so we do not burn out. It was the 3rd stop of our all-day excursion. We sat down to lunch and it was so lovely that Jerry said that we were not leaving; we would stay the rest of the day. It WAS our longest stop - we stayed for about 2 hours. The first thing that we noticed was how spacious it was. Space is a precious commodity here. Even the more expensive flats we saw were pretty cramped feeling. We joined Club Hyatt, which gives dining discounts on food for a year. Here is something interesting, for one person the discount is 10%, for 2 – 50%, 3 – 33%, 4 – 25% and 5 – 20% and 6+ - 15%. So, the best bargain is for 2. We had the buffet, which after our discount plus drinks, tax and tips only came out to $12.50 each. And the food was great. We ate as much beef as we could! Oh, for the days of our BBQ tour of Texas…
FOOD
Food here is pretty good and cheap, albeit a little spicy. We can eat well for 1-2 dollars for a local meal. We did venture out to Chinatown one night and ate at Big Boss. The steamed fish was just as good and better than many Chinese restaurants in Houston. Everything else was okay to pretty good. As we ate, 3 large tables of mainland Chinese people came in. I was so curious as to why they are here that I stopped to talk to them on my way out. They are working for a telecom company here in the suburbs. I asked one guy how he liked living here and all he did was hang his head. I said, “It’s really hard, isn’t it?” And he nodded yes. And they live in the nicer suburb area. This guy is from Harbin, a city in China where I spent a month teaching English 6 years ago. I asked the whole table where the best Chinese restaurant is and one guy replied, “Mainland China.” I was thinking, “Haha, now really tell me.” But there IS a restaurant called Mainland China! However, it is just that the restaurant has Peking Duck. The food is expensive and just okay. They said that Big Boss is really the best place. We are going to meet them sometime and go to a place they also like called Jimmy’s Kitchen.
CAMERA & PICTURES
Sorry that I do not have many pictures. The other ones were taken using our Macbook and it is not practical to lug that thing everywhere we go. On a sad note, our digital camera is on the fritz. Jerry is trying to resurrect it, but I think it is time to look for a new one. Suggestions for an easy-to-use smallish digital camera for around $250 are most welcome! We can buy it online and send it to my parents, who can give it to our friend’s mom who is coming to our city soon from Houston (to visit relatives) and she can bring it to us.
The pastor at church today said that every day that we make it home safely is a time to thank God because of all the crazy traffic here. That has definitely been our experience.
We took a cab back to our hotel after church. The driver had to use only one hand to drive because the other hand was used to hold his door closed during the ride because it would not stay shut.
Yesterday we hired an A/C car and driver. We learned our lesson from when we just took non-A/C taxis from non-A/C flat to non-A/C flat. It was especially uncomfortable because the roads are so bumpy and the cars have no shock absorbers. And since there was no A/C, the windows were down to let in all the pollution and rank smells. Jerry commented last night that he wanted to clean his ears out and see all the nasty black stuff that must be collecting there. Gross.
Anyhow, when you hire a driver or a taxi here, you are basically hiring a mode of transportation because the drivers do not know where many things are in the city. You can tell them an area of town and then you better know how to get to your destination from there. For instance, what we usually have to do is ask the driver to take us to let’s say, a well-known police station. Once we get there, then we start a whole lot of charades and pointing. And then maybe we get to where we need. It can be quite exhausting! One night it took us 45 minutes of pointing and motioning and calling our local friends for us to get back to the hotel. It should have taken 20 minutes. And it does not even help a whole lot for a local to give directions over the phone because they themselves just know how to get to places by sight. There are hardly any street signs, but LOTS of billboards at street level. You could try to use the billboards as landmarks, but once they change…
Back to our A/C car and driver – it took an hour to find a store called Spencer’s. And the annoying thing is that Spencer’s has a lot of billboards around the city that ALL say, “You are minutes from a SUPER shopping experience.” I guess minutes can refer to 2 or 50.
Another stop was to a place that I will call the Wal*Mart of the city. First of all, the traffic getting there was HORRIBLE, even worse than I-10 during rush hour in Houston. There were periods of time when we were stopped for 10+ minutes and people would just get out of their cars and start socializing. You have not seen gridlock until you see the traffic in this city. We finally made it to the Mega Mart and it was packed, just like a doorbusters event at Wal*Mart. Everything was 25% off except clothes. Wall to wall people. At least I did not get groped.
As new residents of the city, we would love to explore, but Golly! It is NEVER easy to get anywhere. There have been a few evenings when I have told Jerry, “I do not want to get into a car for a week!”
SOMETHING POSITIVE
I feel like this blog entry has been a rant, but there are so many things to get used to. Before we left, lots of people would talk about the sacrifice we were making. Maybe we naively agreed to come here. If I knew exactly how it would be, I think I would have been very tempted to tell God, “No thanks.” Every time I get frustrated, Jerry says, “Later, this will be an anecdote that you can put in the blog.” So, ya’ll get to be entertained by our ‘adjustments’.
So let me tell you about a very pleasant experience here…. at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. (hahaha) Seriously, we have had some good experiences here that are not Western. But first, about the Hyatt… It is literally an oasis for foreigners. We have been told that we NEED to get away on a regular basis and enjoy some comfort experiences so we do not burn out. It was the 3rd stop of our all-day excursion. We sat down to lunch and it was so lovely that Jerry said that we were not leaving; we would stay the rest of the day. It WAS our longest stop - we stayed for about 2 hours. The first thing that we noticed was how spacious it was. Space is a precious commodity here. Even the more expensive flats we saw were pretty cramped feeling. We joined Club Hyatt, which gives dining discounts on food for a year. Here is something interesting, for one person the discount is 10%, for 2 – 50%, 3 – 33%, 4 – 25% and 5 – 20% and 6+ - 15%. So, the best bargain is for 2. We had the buffet, which after our discount plus drinks, tax and tips only came out to $12.50 each. And the food was great. We ate as much beef as we could! Oh, for the days of our BBQ tour of Texas…
FOOD
Food here is pretty good and cheap, albeit a little spicy. We can eat well for 1-2 dollars for a local meal. We did venture out to Chinatown one night and ate at Big Boss. The steamed fish was just as good and better than many Chinese restaurants in Houston. Everything else was okay to pretty good. As we ate, 3 large tables of mainland Chinese people came in. I was so curious as to why they are here that I stopped to talk to them on my way out. They are working for a telecom company here in the suburbs. I asked one guy how he liked living here and all he did was hang his head. I said, “It’s really hard, isn’t it?” And he nodded yes. And they live in the nicer suburb area. This guy is from Harbin, a city in China where I spent a month teaching English 6 years ago. I asked the whole table where the best Chinese restaurant is and one guy replied, “Mainland China.” I was thinking, “Haha, now really tell me.” But there IS a restaurant called Mainland China! However, it is just that the restaurant has Peking Duck. The food is expensive and just okay. They said that Big Boss is really the best place. We are going to meet them sometime and go to a place they also like called Jimmy’s Kitchen.
CAMERA & PICTURES
Sorry that I do not have many pictures. The other ones were taken using our Macbook and it is not practical to lug that thing everywhere we go. On a sad note, our digital camera is on the fritz. Jerry is trying to resurrect it, but I think it is time to look for a new one. Suggestions for an easy-to-use smallish digital camera for around $250 are most welcome! We can buy it online and send it to my parents, who can give it to our friend’s mom who is coming to our city soon from Houston (to visit relatives) and she can bring it to us.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Monsoon Pics
I am JUST learning how to post pictures to the blog. I used to take pictures all the time. Now, it is rare that I take photos. Plus, our digital camera is kinda bulky, not the card deck size that is easy to carry around. However, I realize that it would be a SHAME not to take lots of pictures here, so am working on getting a new camera. The photos I have here were taken by our great new Macbook. Here are a couple of pics from our second day here. One is of the metal planks I wrote about.
Kleenex and the Best Meal Ever!
KLEENEX - I love Puffs kleenex. When I was younger and had dreams of stardom, I thought about what products I would endorse. I wanted to endorse only products that I could personally recommend. I came up with Puffs and Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup.
The kleenex here is hard and falls apart. Puffs is soft and strong! I had been using the kleenex here because it was easier to get to. Then I remembered that I had one box of Puffs packed in a ziploc (without the box). So Jerry got me one and it felt heavenly!!! Oh, my nose felt sooooo good! It's the simple pleasures....
THE BEST MEAL EVER - I went shopping with a friend who moved here from the US about 1.5 years ago. While we were shopping for clothes, she mentioned that she would loan us the hot plate she used when she first got here and had to live in a hotel for 3 weeks. I got so excited because we brought a bunch of packages of our favorite ramen with us. So then, I started looking for stuff to put in the ramen. We like egg, spinach and spam. Apparently, there is no
frozen spinach here. So, I looked for eggs and spam. No eggs or spam at the first two places, but I scored on both counts at the gas station convenience store!! They had lots of eggs and ONE can of spam (for $5). It was worth it. Jerry made our dinner in the hotel room and we used plastic Baskin Robins containers as our bowls.
The kleenex here is hard and falls apart. Puffs is soft and strong! I had been using the kleenex here because it was easier to get to. Then I remembered that I had one box of Puffs packed in a ziploc (without the box). So Jerry got me one and it felt heavenly!!! Oh, my nose felt sooooo good! It's the simple pleasures....
THE BEST MEAL EVER - I went shopping with a friend who moved here from the US about 1.5 years ago. While we were shopping for clothes, she mentioned that she would loan us the hot plate she used when she first got here and had to live in a hotel for 3 weeks. I got so excited because we brought a bunch of packages of our favorite ramen with us. So then, I started looking for stuff to put in the ramen. We like egg, spinach and spam. Apparently, there is no
frozen spinach here. So, I looked for eggs and spam. No eggs or spam at the first two places, but I scored on both counts at the gas station convenience store!! They had lots of eggs and ONE can of spam (for $5). It was worth it. Jerry made our dinner in the hotel room and we used plastic Baskin Robins containers as our bowls.
Monday, October 1, 2007
travel
We travelled to another city for several days and stayed at a beach resort for a regional meeting. Now before you get any Western ideas of what a beach resort is, let me say that it was kinda disappointing, but it did grow on me as the days progressed to where I was really enjoying my time there. One highlight was that our A/C stayed on even when we were not in the room. It never got freezing cold as it does in the States, but it was wonderful to come back to a cool room. At our hotel here, we walk in, hurry to put the key in the slot to turn on the electricity and then I stand in front of the A/C for about 15 minutes until the room gets semi-cool. We were in room 205 before we left and now we are in room 105. One of the best things about the new room is the toilet is more Western style. However, the shower has only a hand held thing that attaches to the wall at belly level. There are pros and cons to the room, but overall Jerry likes it better. It will be our home until Oct 17th or until we get our own place, which could take a month or more. I will have to dedicate an entire entry to the art of finding a flat.
There are so many things to write about every single day that the prospect of writing about everything is quite daunting.
THE AIRPORT
There are two airports here, one for international travel and one for domestic travel. They are side by side, but the domestic one is MUCH nicer; it has A/C! However, in both airports your only choice for toilets is squatty potty style, unless you go to the handicap restroom. But, they are pretty dirty. I am hoping for many visitors while I am here, and I wonder how they will take to the dirty conditions here, especially my mom. Anyhow, I am grateful for my times in China where I was able to perfect my squatty potty technique. Another thing about the airport, our luggage is fairly dirty now.
COWS
Cows are sacred here. We have been told that if a vehicle, whether a car, bicycle, etc hits a cow, the crowd will attack the driver. We see alot of cows along the side of the road. Sometimes, they block a lane of traffic, but no one tries to move them. Even during rush-hour! The city where we are is VERY poor. We noticed that the cows in the beach city were much fatter than the cows in our city. There is also a cow-trafficking problem here. They are trafficked for their beef. I am guessing that our city's skinny cows do not have much to fear.
More later...
There are so many things to write about every single day that the prospect of writing about everything is quite daunting.
THE AIRPORT
There are two airports here, one for international travel and one for domestic travel. They are side by side, but the domestic one is MUCH nicer; it has A/C! However, in both airports your only choice for toilets is squatty potty style, unless you go to the handicap restroom. But, they are pretty dirty. I am hoping for many visitors while I am here, and I wonder how they will take to the dirty conditions here, especially my mom. Anyhow, I am grateful for my times in China where I was able to perfect my squatty potty technique. Another thing about the airport, our luggage is fairly dirty now.
COWS
Cows are sacred here. We have been told that if a vehicle, whether a car, bicycle, etc hits a cow, the crowd will attack the driver. We see alot of cows along the side of the road. Sometimes, they block a lane of traffic, but no one tries to move them. Even during rush-hour! The city where we are is VERY poor. We noticed that the cows in the beach city were much fatter than the cows in our city. There is also a cow-trafficking problem here. They are trafficked for their beef. I am guessing that our city's skinny cows do not have much to fear.
More later...
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Flood Day
It has been pouring rain here and in this area, when it rains, it floods. We left the office yesterday a little early before more flooding occurred. We still had to walk on these metal planks to get from the building steps to the car. And then we had to straddle to get to the hotel steps from the car. Crazy!
We had to order dinner from the hotel and wanted to get some local food. However, they told us that the cook left because of the flooding so all we could order was Chinese! And then this morning, the cook was still not back, so all we could order was an American breakfast - an omelette, toast, cereal, banana and papaya.
Chinese food is pretty prevalent. And it tastes pretty good! Not as good as authentic Chinese, but WAY better than American Chinese. And the Chinese noodles they have here are my favorite kind! Of course, there is no beef and if you order something with chicken, do not expect very much.
Today the office declared a flood day. The news said that it might be a record! Anyhow, we were stuck at the hotel. But it was good because it is forcing me to rest. My leg is getting better every day. And there is no internet at the hotel. We found out a few people came into the office, so a car came to pick us up to drive us the one block to get here. And then we walked the metal planks again. The flooding is just incredible. Many of the locals just pull up their pant legs and walk through the water. Jerry and I brought galoshes from home and we are the envy of several people.
Right now, Jerry is wading through the streets to go to an ATM and find us some lunch. Jerry commented last night that the food here is way cheap, but we seem to be eating less, probably because there is not junk food for us to eat here and it's not like we can hop in our car to dine out.
More later...
We had to order dinner from the hotel and wanted to get some local food. However, they told us that the cook left because of the flooding so all we could order was Chinese! And then this morning, the cook was still not back, so all we could order was an American breakfast - an omelette, toast, cereal, banana and papaya.
Chinese food is pretty prevalent. And it tastes pretty good! Not as good as authentic Chinese, but WAY better than American Chinese. And the Chinese noodles they have here are my favorite kind! Of course, there is no beef and if you order something with chicken, do not expect very much.
Today the office declared a flood day. The news said that it might be a record! Anyhow, we were stuck at the hotel. But it was good because it is forcing me to rest. My leg is getting better every day. And there is no internet at the hotel. We found out a few people came into the office, so a car came to pick us up to drive us the one block to get here. And then we walked the metal planks again. The flooding is just incredible. Many of the locals just pull up their pant legs and walk through the water. Jerry and I brought galoshes from home and we are the envy of several people.
Right now, Jerry is wading through the streets to go to an ATM and find us some lunch. Jerry commented last night that the food here is way cheap, but we seem to be eating less, probably because there is not junk food for us to eat here and it's not like we can hop in our car to dine out.
More later...
Monday, September 24, 2007
Day 1
We have arrived! So far, this city in South Asia reminds me a lot of China. Even though monsoon season is pretty much over, we came on a VERY rainy day. It was even raining in the airport (a leak), and we had to walk through a few puddles. It is a good thing we brought galoshes. Near our guesthouse it floods easily, so the rain boots were good to wade through ankle high water.
Our guesthouse is growing on me. I am not yet comfortable walking around without slippers. The bathroom leaves much to be desired, but it is rather spacious at least. It is one of those places where you place your key in this thing to turn on the electricity. So, no coming home to a nice, cool room. You've got to put the key in and then wait a while for the room to cool. We also have a fridge; can you imagine the effect that the electricity control has on it?
It has been a while since I have had to brush my teeth with bottled water. It is also strange to have a fear of opening your mouth in the shower so you do not ingest any water.
We met up with some friends and went to church, Grace Church at the Salvation Army. We knew all of the songs except one. The pastor is from Rochester, NY; he and his wife have been here for 19 years.
Shopping was exhausting. My arms and chest are too big for the clothes. While we waited for my clothes to be tailored, we went to a very western-style coffee shop. My leg did not fare very well with all of the shopping and walking. I am looking forward to LOTS of rest so my leg can heal in time for my trip to Spain.
We went to bed at 7pm. It is only 4:41pm right now, but I could go to sleep.
We are definitely not physically comfortable, but we've met some truly wonderful people already and are seeing how God is working here.
Our guesthouse is growing on me. I am not yet comfortable walking around without slippers. The bathroom leaves much to be desired, but it is rather spacious at least. It is one of those places where you place your key in this thing to turn on the electricity. So, no coming home to a nice, cool room. You've got to put the key in and then wait a while for the room to cool. We also have a fridge; can you imagine the effect that the electricity control has on it?
It has been a while since I have had to brush my teeth with bottled water. It is also strange to have a fear of opening your mouth in the shower so you do not ingest any water.
We met up with some friends and went to church, Grace Church at the Salvation Army. We knew all of the songs except one. The pastor is from Rochester, NY; he and his wife have been here for 19 years.
Shopping was exhausting. My arms and chest are too big for the clothes. While we waited for my clothes to be tailored, we went to a very western-style coffee shop. My leg did not fare very well with all of the shopping and walking. I am looking forward to LOTS of rest so my leg can heal in time for my trip to Spain.
We went to bed at 7pm. It is only 4:41pm right now, but I could go to sleep.
We are definitely not physically comfortable, but we've met some truly wonderful people already and are seeing how God is working here.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
at Heathrow airport right now
We did not make our 5:35 flight from Houston, but we caught a 7:25 flight that flew straight to London without stopping in Detroit. However, we had to fly into Gatwick, get all our luggage and then take a shuttle to Heathrow!! The shuttle ride was fun. We sat behind the driver for a better view and got to listen to some funny conversations. We also sat next to a Frank Sinatra fan who goes to Florida every year after Labor Day. Actually, all of the people we sat near go to Florida every year.
Right now I am at the Heathrow airport at Garfunkel's eating fish and chips. Jerry had the Great British Breakfast, an interesting assortment of breakfast food like sausage, bacon and eggs, along with pork and beans, sauteed mushrooms and half of a roasted tomato. I forgot to mention that my lunch came with some really strong mashed green peas.
My leg is not in constant pain, but I am still limping. You should see the two of us with all of our luggage. 4 suitcases, 2 footlockers, a guitar and 2 carryons. It's been crazy.
Well, time to go board our flight to South Asia. I think it is a 10 or 11 hours flight. Yikes! I had nausea on the last flight, but am okay now. However, my body feels like it is in constant motion, like after I have been on a boat.
Only 10 more minutes of the cool British accent.
Right now I am at the Heathrow airport at Garfunkel's eating fish and chips. Jerry had the Great British Breakfast, an interesting assortment of breakfast food like sausage, bacon and eggs, along with pork and beans, sauteed mushrooms and half of a roasted tomato. I forgot to mention that my lunch came with some really strong mashed green peas.
My leg is not in constant pain, but I am still limping. You should see the two of us with all of our luggage. 4 suitcases, 2 footlockers, a guitar and 2 carryons. It's been crazy.
Well, time to go board our flight to South Asia. I think it is a 10 or 11 hours flight. Yikes! I had nausea on the last flight, but am okay now. However, my body feels like it is in constant motion, like after I have been on a boat.
Only 10 more minutes of the cool British accent.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
It's been too long...
Hello Friends,
I know it has been forever since I have blogged. Once we arrive in South Asia, I hope to blog several times a week. Well, we leave 2 days. Just writing that gives me the willies. Today, our friend Katherine came over to tutor Jerry on the Mac and a friend Emma came over to help pack before she had to go to class. Later today my Mom is coming to do more packing and our friend Steve is bringing lunch. This evening a small group from church is coming to clean the house.
Part of me feels badly because these days all we seem to do is receive. But I have been reminded that soon, we will be mostly on the giving end.
I have so many other thoughts to share, but I need to get back to the task at hand - clearing out the bedrooms for our new lovely tenants.
And look on the right side of the blog - now you can subscribe!
I know it has been forever since I have blogged. Once we arrive in South Asia, I hope to blog several times a week. Well, we leave 2 days. Just writing that gives me the willies. Today, our friend Katherine came over to tutor Jerry on the Mac and a friend Emma came over to help pack before she had to go to class. Later today my Mom is coming to do more packing and our friend Steve is bringing lunch. This evening a small group from church is coming to clean the house.
Part of me feels badly because these days all we seem to do is receive. But I have been reminded that soon, we will be mostly on the giving end.
I have so many other thoughts to share, but I need to get back to the task at hand - clearing out the bedrooms for our new lovely tenants.
And look on the right side of the blog - now you can subscribe!
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
We have a tenant!!
Praise God!!
We have a tenant for the house and this tenant is perfect for our needs. I could not have asked for a better person to occupy our house. God has proven again that He is Jehovah Jireh!
We have a tenant for the house and this tenant is perfect for our needs. I could not have asked for a better person to occupy our house. God has proven again that He is Jehovah Jireh!
Monday, August 6, 2007
Welcome!
We are going to attempt to keep everyone updated through this blog. We are newbies to this kind of thing, so suggestions are most welcome.
Check back for the unfolding story. We will try to start from the beginning as we have time. As you can imagine, there is much for us to do between now and our projected departure date of Sept. 21st.
Check back for the unfolding story. We will try to start from the beginning as we have time. As you can imagine, there is much for us to do between now and our projected departure date of Sept. 21st.
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